Lifting device

ABSTRACT

A device for lifting articles, for example, corrugated containers, said device having handle means with crossing members terminating at gripping means. The gripping means comprise a flat rear plate and an opposite, inwardly curved front plate having teeth extending from the forward edge of the curved front plate. When the handles are brought together the curved front plate contacts the article to be lifted and the teeth embed in the article to securely hold the article between the flat rear plate and the curved front plate.

United States Patent [72] inventor Brooks 8. Stuart, Jr.

103 Apple-wood Lane, Spartanburg, S.C. 29302 (21] Appl. No. 788,398 [22]Filed Jan. 2, 1969 [45] Patented June 8, 1971 [54] LII'TING DEVICE 3Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. CI. 294/28, 294/118, 294/29, 294/31, 294/104, 294/104. 1 4294/106, 294/119 [51] int. Cl B251 7/02 [50] Field of Search 294/28, 29,3,104,104.1,106,118,119

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 179.533 7/1876 Dewar294/104X 884,887 4/1908 Beckwith 294/104X 1,104,470 7/1914 Bilson294/118 1,7 30,706 10/1929 Wilkowski 294/1 18X 1,857,979 5/1932Schaefer... 294/118 2,189,713 2/1940 Hansen 294/104X PrimaryExaminer-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-W. Scott CarsonAttorney-Wellington M. Manning, Jr.

ABSTRACT: A device for lifting articles, for example, corrugatedcontainers, said device having handle means with crossing membersterminating at gripping means. The gripping means comprise a flat rearplate and an opposite, inwardly curved front plate having teethextending from the forward edge of the curved front plate. When thehandles are brought together the curved front plate contacts the articleto be lifted and the teeth embed in the article to securely hold thearticle between the flat rear plate and the curved front plate.

PATENTEU JUN 81971 3; 583745 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY ROOKS 5. STUARTJR. BY a LXFTING Davies BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Numerous devices have been known for gripping the sidewalls ofa container to facilitate lifting of the container. These prior devicehave for the most part, been designed for specific purposes, e.g.,lifting ice cream cartons, salvage cartons filled with groceries, andthe like. A present need exists for a further type of lifting device inthe computer hardware industry. Data processing centers utilize printersintegral with computers. The printing is accomplished on continuouslengths of paper or forms being fed from a nested accordion arrangementin a corrugated container. Prior to feeding the paper to the printoutsection of the computer, the top of the corrugated container is removedand the full container is placed under the printer. Paper of this typeis then threaded into the printer where small indexing holes in at leastone edge of the paper are engaged by a sprocket for proper alignment andadvancement of the paper through the printer. Extreme care must beobserved to avoid damage to these holes. Also, containers filled withcomputer paper weigh up to approximately 60-70 pounds, a weight that isquite burdensome for a female operator to negotiate.

Accordingly apparatus has been sought to aid data processing personnelin moving the containers of paper to and from the printout section ofthe computer. The present invention provides such an instrument andfulfills a long standing need.

The prior art does not teach or suggest a device such as is describedand claimed herein. Devices are shown that operate on a scissorsprinciple with opposing jaws to engage the article to be lifted. Nodevice is shown or suggested by the prior art, however, having thefeatures or versatility of the instant lifting device. For instance, nodevice is shown in the prior art having a curved outer jaw as is taughtby the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention toprovide a device for lifting containers without excessively damaging thecontainer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for liftingcontainers without damaging or disturbing the contents of thecontainers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for usein data processing centers for lifting and transporting boxes containingcontinuous, nested paper, forms and the like, without damaging thecontents of the boxes.

-With these objects in view, the present invention relates to a devicefor lifting and transporting containers comprising a pair of crossinghandle and gripping members, one of said members having at its grippingend, a flat rear plate capable of inscrtion into the container betweenthe contents of the container and the container sidewall, the other ofsaid members having at its gripping end an inwardly curved front platewith a plurality of toothlike projections extending outwardly from theforward edge of the front plate, said two members being pivotallyconnected.

The device of the present invention provides heretofore unavailableadvantages to the operators of a data processing center. Continuouspaper or forms fed to the printout section of a computer is providedwith a series of indexing and feeding holes along the side of the paper.If one of these holes is damaged, that section of the paper will notproperly feed and the computer will automatically be shut off. Thedamaged paper will then have to be removed and undamaged paperrethreaded into the printer. Should the paper be damaged at thebeginning of the continuous strip, very little trouble is encountered.If, however, the paper is damaged in the middle of the strip, then,practically speaking, the purpose of the continuous strip is defeatedfor the computer will be stopped in the middle of the strip and thedamaged section removed after which the printer must be rethreaded withnew paper. In fact if the damage to the paper is detected before theinitial threading-up of the printer, the box will be set aside and usedpiecemeal on short runs.

Labor shortage is another problem plaguing the data processing industry.Attempts have been made to avoid the shortage by employing women to workin the centers. Presently, the boxes of continuous strips of paper,forms, etc. weigh up to approximately 60-70 pounds. These containers arecurrently being lifted and carried to the computer by a man who gripstwo of the sidewalls of the container between his thumbs andforefingers. A woman does not possess the strength in her thumbs andforefingers to use these digits for lifting a container weighing 65pounds. Accordingly, someone in the center must move the boxes of paperor forms around the computers for the woman operator, hence creatingadditional labor needs. The device of the present invention enables awoman to manipulate the 65 pound boxes. While the normal woman cannotlift these boxes with her thumbs and forefingers, she can normally liftthe weight. Hence by using the device of the present invention the womanapplies her gripping strength at the handles, utilizing the strength ofher whole hand instead of only thumb and forefinger. She is now capableof safely lifting the box. The woman operator also does not have to bendas far to reach the box when she uses the instant lifting device. Thedevice, when in use, extends some 6 to 12 inches above the top of thebox and thus again aids the use of female labor in data processingcenters.

Similar needs arise in department stores, grocery stores, libraries, andthe like. In these type operations as well as numerous others, women areemployed, but are hampered from moving objects around their work areadue to the absence of a device to assist them in lifting andtransporting the containers relevant to their particular work.

The novel features of the present invention are set forth in particularin the claims appended hereto. The invention itself, however, both as toconstruction and method of operation, together with additional objectsand advantages thereof, will be best understood from the followingdescription of the preferred embodiment when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation of thelifting device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the lifting device of the presentinvention showing also a cutaway section of the curved front plate; and

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of two lifting devices of the presentinvention as they would be employed on an open-top container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, thelifting device of the present invention is shown. Two crossing handleand gripping members l0 and 12 are pivotally connected at 14 by suitableconnector means 16. Bolts and lock nuts are shown for the purpose ofillustration, but rivets or any other suitable connector means may beequally employed. Members 10 and 12 are shown to have an arcuate uppersection 10' and 12' respectively and a lower arcuate section 10 and 12"respectively. It should be understood, however, that the shape ofmembers 10 and 12 is not crucial to the present invention and these members may assume any shape desired so long as the appropriate forces canbe supplied to the sidewall of the container when handles 18 and 20 arebrought together.

Handle 18, attached to members 10, and handle 20, attached to members 12may be manufactured from any suitable material such as, for exampleplastic or wood. Handles 18 and 20 are preferably of a size such thatwhen the two are brought together flat surfaces 18' and 20' mate and thecircumference around the two handles fits comfortably in the user's handwhereby the user is not required to stretch his hand appreciably toreach around the handles while lifting or transporting a container.Moreover, the point at which flat surfaces l8 and 20' mate shouldpreferably be in a plane that is parallel to rear plate 22 andintersects pivotal connecting means 16. Handles 18 and 20 are shown asseparate components attached to members MB and i2. It should beunderstood that handle may be an integral part of members it) and 12.

Crossing members 12 are equipped at their gripping ends with a rearplate 22. Plate 22 may be secured to members 12 in any suitable manner,for example, by welding, or it may be integral with members 112 or maybe removably secured to members 12 so that a different size plate may beattached for a container of larger or smaller size. The forward end 24of plate 22 is smooth so as to avoid damage to the contents of thecontainer in the event that plate 22 should come into contact with thecontents of the container while being inserted into the containerbetween the contents and the sidewall of the container. Plate 22 isshown in FIG. 2 to be slightly wider than curved front plate 30. Such aconstruction is highly preferred to prevent damage to the sidewall ofthe container due to canting of the device at one end into the containersidewall. This feature is readily accomplished, however, by constructingrear plate 22 to be at least substantially as wide as curved front plate30.

Front plate 30, is affixed to members in a manner such as was describedabove for the connection between rear plate 22 and member 110. in otherwords front plate 30 may be welded to members 12, integral with membersH2, or removably affixed to members 12. Front plate 3E1, as may beclearly seen in FIGS. l and 3 curves inwardly toward rear plate 22. Aplurality of toothlike projections 3d are spacially disposed across thewidth of forward end 32. Projections 3d engage the sidewall of acontainer as the handles 18 and are brought together and embedded in thesidewall. The length of projections 3d should, preferably, be shorterthan the width of sidewall for reasons set forth below.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, it is noted that two crossing members 10 andtwo crossing members 12 are shown. One such member 110 and member 32 mayequally be used or more than two of each may be used. The number ofmembers 10 and members 112 to be employed is really a matter of choicebut may, in part, be determined by the amount of weight to be lifted andwhether proper balance of the container can be maintained during liftingand transportation.

Referring to FIG. 1 it may be seen that angle 0, measured from plane P,a plane tangent to rear plate 22 that intersects connecting member 16and the point where inner surfaces H8 and 20 of handles 13 and 2t matedown to line L, a line drawn tangent to the outer surface of front plate30 at the point of contact between projections 34 and sidewall X, isgreater than 90. This angle is a very important feature of the presentinvention. When projections 3 are embedded in sidewall X to their fullextent, flat portions 32 of the front end 32 of front plate 30 engagesidewall X, relieving at least a major portion of the stress on thesidewall X produced by projections 34. Hence the stress on sidewall X isdistributed across the entire width of front plate 30 instead of only atthe projections 3d. Distribution of this stress in the sidewall X acrossthe entire width of forward end 32 considerably lessens damage to thesidewall of the containers. Thus containers may be reused for a greaternumber of times as a paper feed supply source or the like. Also,considerably more weight can be lifted without damage to the containerby distributing the stresses across the entire width than just atprojections 34.

The lifting device of the present invention is usually employed as apair, one for each side of the container to be lifted.

Referring to FIG. 3, one complete lifting device and one partial liftingdevice of such a pair are shown being used on a container. Rear plate 22have been inserted in the open top of the box between the contents C andthe sidewall X. Note that the device has not been inserted as far aspossible into the box. Hence there is no danger of members 10" damagingthe contents C. Front plate 30 resides along the outer surface X ofsidewall X. When the o erator brings handles 18 and 20 together as shownin H5 3, projections 34 penetrate or embed in the outer surface X ofsidewall X. Vector forces produced by lifting with the device engagedare inward and upward from front plate 30, a nd flat portions 32, ineffect, carry the weight of the container along with projections 34.After the container has been transported to the desired location, thelifting device may be easily disengaged by separating the handles andapplying a slight downward pressure against the device to removeprojections 34 from sidewall X.

The lifting device of the present invention may be constructed of anysuitable material, e.g. aluminum, steel or plastic. Obviously the weightof the container to be lifted is a determining factor. Moreover, thelifting device may be fabricated from individual components, stampedfrom stock and attached to components, or by other suitable fabricatingmethods.

The lifting device of the present invention may be modified for certainend uses where the contents of the container are not such that they maybe easily damaged by handling. For example, two of the devices of thepresent invention may be united with a common handle section wherebythrough suitable linkage both devices will simultaneously grip orrelease.

Normally, the lifting device of the present invention is employed withopen-top containers. Slight modification to a container, however, willadd to the versatility of the instant lifting device. Slots introducedin the carton blank adjacent the creases defining the top of eachsidewall permit use of the instant lifting device even before the cartonhas been opened. Others have produced lifting devices with sharp pointsfor penetrating the carton. This feature is quite undesirable, however,due to the probability of damage to the contents of the container.Preformed slots in the carton will allow ingress and egress of the flatrear plate of the present invention. The smooth forward edge will notdamage the contents of the carton, and thus the instant lifting devicemay be successfully employed in closed containers.

lclaim:

i. A lifting device comprising a pair of crossing handle and grippingmembers, means pivotally connecting said members, one of said membershaving a flat plate at its gripping end, the other of said membershaving at its gripping end a plate that is inwardly and upwardly curvedtoward the pivot point, the forward edge of said curved plate beingelongated and having a plurality of teeth extending upwardly therefrom,said teeth extending upwardly from a plane that intersects said flatplate at when said teeth are adjacent said flat plate, said flat platebeing substantially at least as wide as said curved plate, whereby whenin use for lifting, said teeth embed in a container being lifted and theweight of the container is carried on said teeth and said elongatedforward edge of said curved plate.

2. The lifting device as defined in claim 1 wherein the flat plate has asmooth forward surface.

3. The lifting device as defined in claim 1 wherein the handles on thepair of crossing members have flat, mating inner surfaces and thehandles meet at a plane that intersects the pivotal connecting means.

1. A lifting device comprising a pair of crossing handle and grippingmembers, means pivotally connecting said members, one of said membershaving a flat plate at its gripping end, the other of said membershaving at its gripping end a plate that is inwardly and upwardly curvedtoward the pivot point, the forward edge of said curved plate beingelongated and having a plurality of teeth extending upwardly therefrom,said teeth extending upwardly from a plane that intersects said flatplate at 90* when said teeth are adjacent said flat plate, said flatplate being substantially at least as wide as said curved plate, wherebywhen in use for lifting, said teeth embed in a container being liftedand the weight of the container is carried on said teeth and saidelongated forward edge of said curved plate.
 2. The lifting device asdefined in claim 1 wherein the flat plate has a smooth forward surface.3. The lifting device as defined in claim 1 wherein the handles on thepair of crossing members have flat, mating inner surfaces and thehandles meet at a plane that intersects the pivotal connecting means.